The Presidential food initiative on Tuesday revealed it is meeting Miller’s and traders and other measures it is taking to ease hardships, especially food supply.
Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, while speaking to State House Journalists, after a meeting at the Presidential Villa, said the special presidential committee met address the issue of food shortage in the country.
This is just as President Bola Tinubu arrives Abuja after a private visit to France.
The President arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport Abuja at 8.30pm
The meeting of the initiative is coming on the heels of protests across some states including the recent one in Minna, the Niger State capital.
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Idris noted that it is “just the beginning of that meeting,” adding that ” government will be engaging different groups, including traders and millers” with the view to easing supplies.
“It is going to continue tomorrow and day after tomorrow. The government is very concerned about what Nigerians are going through, especially what has happened in Minna yesterday, and therefore government is taking some action to ensure that Nigerians have some relief in terms of the availability of food on the table.”
He disclosed that the Tuesday meeting is not by itself exhaustive, adding that “just like I said, the beginning. It is going to continue tomorrow and the day after.
He disclosed that the government will be “unlocking the foods that are available in most of the storage facilities (National Food Reserve) around the country. You know that the Federal Minister of Agriculture has some food reserve. That is going to be made available to Nigerians. ”
According to him, ” The government is also talking to major millers and major commodity traders, to also see what is available in their stores. To open it up, so that government will provide some intervention, discuss with them provide some intervention to make this food available to Nigerians.”
“What the government is noticing is that actually there is still food in this country. Some people are taking advantage of the situation especially because of the high cost, the depreciation in the value of our currency that has led to the cost of these food items also going up.”
“So all these issues were discussed. The governor of central bank was here. The Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister for the Economy was in meeting. Of course, the Chief of Staff, the National Security Adviser, because he also has some national security implications. So all these have been discussed. And like I said, this conversation or discussion is going to to continue.”
He assured that the government will not fold its arms and see the way Nigerians are suffering in terms of the availability of these food items.
”So I want to plead with you to understand with the government. By the time these meetings are concluded, we’ll be able to issue a definite statement on what the position of government is in this regard. But all I can say is that discussions are ongoing, and very soon a solution is in sight for Nigerians.”
The Minister who did not name immediate action, said however that some of them are dependent on the follow-up meeting on all this hardship. “The government is stepping in a big way to ensure that Nigerians have succour going forward. Thank you.
The meeting was convened by Femi Gbajabiamila, chief of staff (CoS), to President Bola Tinubu.
The meeting was attended by Nuhu Ribadu, the national security adviser (NSA); Yemi Cardoso, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Tahir Mamman, Minister of education; Wale Edun; Minister of Fnance and Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture, as well as Mustapha Shehuri, minister of state for agriculture, are in attendance.
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